Queen II
(Bonus Tracks)

Queen's second record may not have the immediately identifiable hits their later albums drip with, but that does nothing to diminish its overall power and importance to their catalog. Staking out some no-man's land between prog rock, glam and heavy metal, Queen II is as different from what people were doing in 1974 as everything the band did in the '70s. The guitars, of course, always sound amazing, but two minutes into "Father To Son," Brian May's supercharged Fender positively roars, with a brutal majesty no one can even imitate. "Ogre Battle" is another highlight.